Question 1

What does Aerial Fire Depot do?

Accepted Answer

The Aerial Fire Depot, operating under the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, is dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the nation’s aerial wildfire response capabilities. Its core mission centers on securing critical infrastructure, logistics, and aviation support services to enable rapid, coordinated fire suppression operations across federal lands. Strategic priorities include modernizing fire cache facilities, maintaining airborne firefighting systems, and ensuring reliable access to charter air transportation for personnel and equipment. The agency prioritizes resilience in remote locations, investing in secure communication networks, facility upgrades, and long-term lease arrangements to support year-round operational readiness.

Procurement patterns reveal a strong emphasis on construction and facility management, particularly for fire cache and depot infrastructure, alongside specialized air transportation and support services. The agency frequently utilizes solicitation and presolicitation processes for both new construction and lease extensions, indicating a focus on long-term asset sustainability. Contract structures lean toward multi-year agreements and MATOCs (Multiple Award Task Order Contracts) to ensure scalable, responsive support during peak fire seasons.

Industry preferences are clearly aligned with electrical and building contractors for facility upgrades, non-scheduled air charter providers for tactical mobility, and air transportation support firms for maintenance of airborne systems. A pronounced preference for SBA set-asides—evidenced in six of nine recent opportunities—demonstrates a commitment to empowering small businesses, including those owned by veterans, women, and socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Vendor relationships are built on proven technical capability in fire-adapted infrastructure and aviation logistics.

Organized as a specialized unit within the Forest Service, the Aerial Fire Depot operates without a fixed physical headquarters but maintains critical assets across wildfire-prone regions, particularly in the western United States. It relies on federal procurement vehicles including indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts and task order solicitations to efficiently mobilize resources during dynamic operational demands.

Question 2

How do I find contracts from Aerial Fire Depot?

Accepted Answer

You can find contracts from Aerial Fire Depot on CLEATUS by visiting the agency's contracts tab. Search and filter by contract type, NAICS code, set-aside, and more. CLEATUS aggregates data from SAM.gov, FPDS, USASpending.gov, and state procurement systems.

Question 3

How much does Aerial Fire Depot spend on contracts?

Accepted Answer

In the last 12 months, Aerial Fire Depot has obligated $2,812,782 across 3 contract awards to 3 contractors. The agency currently has 0 active contract opportunities.

Question 4

What industries does Aerial Fire Depot contract in?

Accepted Answer

Aerial Fire Depot primarily contracts in the following industries:  (NAICS 53112), Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (NAICS 238210), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (NAICS 236220). These NAICS codes represent the most active procurement categories for this agency in the last 12 months.

Aerial Fire Depot

Part of Department Of Agriculture

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